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LEAF Festival facts for kids

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The LEAF Festival is a super fun event that celebrates arts and culture! It's put on by LEAF Community Arts, which is a non-profit group. Their main goal is to bring people together and make lives better through art. They do this with festivals, special events, and cool educational programs.

When LEAF started in 1995, its name stood for "Lake Eden Arts Festival." But over time, it grew and changed. Now, it's simply known as LEAF Community Arts, or just "LEAF." This group has several awesome programs. These include the LEAF Festival itself, LEAF Schools & Streets, LEAF International, LEAF Downtown AVL, and LEAF Local.

About the LEAF Festival

Since 1995, the LEAF Festival has happened twice a year. It takes place in Black Mountain, North Carolina. This festival is known as one of the best in the southeastern United States! In 2001, The Washington Post even called it "The best cultural Mix and Match Festival in the nation."

The festival is packed with exciting things to do. You can enjoy music from all over the world and from local artists. There are amazing handmade crafts, lively dancing, and delicious food. Kids have tons of activities just for them. You can also try outdoor adventures like drum circles, a zipline, and canoeing!

The Festival's Special Home

The LEAF Festival is held at Lake Eden Events and Camp Rockmont for Boys. This place has a really interesting past!

Black Mountain College Days

Before it became a camp, in the 1940s, this land was home to the famous Black Mountain College (BMC). Many of the most celebrated artists and thinkers of that century came here. They were either teachers or students! Imagine learning from people like Albert Einstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Anni Albers, and Merce Cunningham. Even Buckminster Fuller, who designed the first geodesic dome, was here!

Early History of Lake Eden

Even before Black Mountain College, in the early 1900s, a man named Edwin Wiley Grove owned the land. He was also known for building the The Omni Grove Park Inn and Grove Arcade. Grove built some of the buildings at Lake Eden with his special native stone fireplaces. Before Grove, the Lake Eden Inn and Resort was a popular getaway. People came there to enjoy its "healing waters" and fresh, "rejuvenating air."

LEAF in Schools & Streets

LEAF in Schools & Streets is another great program from LEAF Community Arts. It's a non-profit outreach program that brings talented artists right to schools and community centers. These artists offer hands-on workshops, longer visits, and fun, interactive performances.

This program gives young people an amazing chance. They get to perform alongside professional artists on a big stage! Their family members can even be in the audience to cheer them on. Kids in the program get to experience many different things. They participate in workshops, watch performances, and meet the artists. Plus, they get to enjoy a special festival adventure!

In 2020, because of world events, both LEAF festivals happened online.

Notable Performers

Many incredible artists have performed at the LEAF Festival over the years. Here are just some of them:

  • Aaran Bebe Sukura – Ghana
  • Abigail Washburn - Clawhammer banjo
  • Alex Torres y Orquesta Los Reyes Latinos – South America
  • BeauSoleil - Louisiana
  • Béla Fleck
  • Ben Sollee- genre-bending percussive cellist
  • The Be Good Tanyas - Canadian Folk
  • Bernie Worrell & The Woo Warriors
  • Billy Jonas – Folk
  • Bohola- Irish
  • Buckwheat Zydeco
  • Carnavalito – Puerto Rico & El Salvador
  • Chirgilchin - Throat Singers - Tuva
  • Chuck Beattie & Blues By Design
  • Chuck Brodsky - Folk
  • Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - Blues
  • Corey Harris - Blues
  • Cutumba - Cuba
  • Cyril Neville’s Tribe 13- New Orleans
  • Dan Electro & the Silvertones
  • Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks
  • David Holt Band
  • David Wilcox - Folk
  • The Dead Poets
  • Deer Clan Singers w/ Pura Fé – Native American
  • Dervish – Ireland
  • Donna the Buffalo
  • Duckbutter w/ Sam Bush & John Cowan
  • Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul - Celtic
  • Emeline Michele – Haiti
  • Enter The Haggis- Celtic
  • Fairport Convention - England
  • File' – Louisiana
  • Fishbone - punk
  • Foundation Stone - Reggae
  • Freddie Branch and the Singing Stars
  • Fuego Del Almo – Colombia
  • The Ghillies - Scotland
  • Gokh-Bi System – Senegal
  • The Greencards- Bluegrass
  • Havana Select - Cuba
  • The Holmes Brothers - Soul
  • Inlakesh – Australia
  • Inner Visions Reggae -Virgin Islands
  • Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk- New Orleans
  • Jamuna – Russia
  • Jean-Paul Samputu & Ingeli - Rwanda
  • Jeff Oster – Jazz HypnoGroove
  • Katuah Capoeira Angola - Brazill
  • Kruger Brothers - Switzerland
  • Le Vent du Nord – Canada
  • Les Nubians - France
  • Linda Thompson - England
  • Llan de Cubel - Spain
  • Lloyd Cannady & The Flying Clouds
  • Lonesome River Band - Bluegrass
  • Los Amigos Invisibles - Venezuela
  • Los Hombres Calientes – New Orleans
  • Mahotella Queens – South Africa
  • Mamadou Diabaté - Kora player - Mali
  • Mambo Brothers - Latin
  • Marcia Ball – Louisiana R& B
  • Maria Muldaur & Blusiana Band - Folk
  • Martha Redbone
  • Michael Franti – Hip Hop
  • New Orleans Klezmer All Stars
  • Odetta – Folk Icon
  • The Persuasions
  • Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys
  • Rebirth Brass Band – New Orleans
  • Red Stick Ramblers- New Orleans
  • Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loco – Congo/Cuba
  • Richie Havens – Folk Icon
  • Rising Appalachia- World Music/Spoken Word/Bluegrass
  • Robin & Linda Williams & Their Fine Group
  • Samba Ngo - Congo
  • Samite - Uganda
  • Scythian - Celtic Rock with Gypsy flavor
  • Shringara Nepal
  • Solazo – South America
  • Spaceman Jones- Asheville NC
  • The Subdudes – New Orleans
  • Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited – Zimbabwe
  • Tim O’Brien - Folk
  • Tony Trischka Band - Bluegrass
  • Toubab Krewe
  • Viva Quetzel – South America
  • The Wailers Band - Reggae
  • Wild Asparagus – Contra & Celtic
  • Wild Magnolias – New Orleans
  • Wild Mango - Latin
  • Xumantra – Tibetan
  • Yerba Buena - Cuba
  • Yungchen Lhamo - Tibet
  • Zulu Connection
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LEAF Festival Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.